314 The Tavern Signs of Wiltshire and their Origin. 
was another favourite sign of our ancestors, and still exists in eight 
parishes in the county equally distributed through North and South 
Wilts. 
Again the ecclesiastical symbol of the “ Lamb” occurs eleven 
times; while the “ Lamb and Flag” was to be seen not long since 
at Swindon, though I understand it has now disappeared : this is to 
be lamented, because, while the “ Lamb and Flag” formed the well- 
known emblem of the Knights Templars, the sign at Swindon im- 
proved upon the original design, by changing the banner into a 
spear! Again, we have the ecclesiastical symbol of the “ Pelican,” 
at Devizes, at Froxfield, and at Stapleford, near Wilton: and the 
peculiar sign of the “ Organ”? may be seen at Warminster; and 
the still more strange sign of “ Jacob’s Ladder” in the parish of 
Stratton St. Margaret. This brings the sum of ecclesiastical or 
religious sign-boards in our county to about one hundred.! 
(4) Of the Professional emblems those relating to the twin services of 
the Armyand Navy will not detain us long: they are eminently practi- 
cal; they are not obscure; and they very plainly indicate the utilitarian 
interests of Wiltshiremen ; who, if they sometimes indulged in military 
or naval ardour, certainly did not mark it on their sign-boards. Thus 
the military emblems are all comprehended in these four signs, the 
“ Cross Guns,” at Avoncliff (Bradford) and Westwood ; the “ Zrooper,” 
at Clack; and the quite modern signs of the “ Rifleman’s Arms,” 
and the “ Volunteer.” Not much more pronounced are the naval 
emblems (as perhaps might be expected in so thoroughly inland a 
county) : we have indeed the “Anchor” at Warminster and Westbury ; 
1 I am informed by Mr. Cunnington that there existed some years ago on the 
Bath road, near Devizes, a sign-board on which was painted a woman without 
a head, and which was called the ‘*‘ Quiet Woman,” or the ‘* Good Woman,” in 
ungallant allusion to the excellence of silence in regard to the female tongue. 
It is curious, however, to find that this sign (which in old times was not un- 
common) was originally of ecclesiastical import, the headless trunk being the 
conventional method of representing a Christian Martyr! Subsequentiy the 
same device of the silent woman became a favourite oilman’s sign, and it is 
conjectured to have been so adopted in reference to the heedless (head was 
anciently pronounced heed) or foolish virgins of the parable, who had no oil in 
their lamps when the bridegroom came. [See Larwood and Hotten’s Hist. of 
Signboards,” p. 454, ] 
